Part 2 (1/2)
She didn't bother to thank him when he finally freed her, accepting it perhaps as if it were her due. Rolling onto her side she pushed herself to her feet, languidly stretching her muscles like a sated leopard. He couldn't help looking. Her small body was compact, but lushly curved, t.i.ts and a.s.s filling out the black denim jeans and semi-sheer lacy top nicely. It telegraphed youth and fertility to his unwary libido.
She turned and caught his confounded stare. ”Should I undress, Doctor?”
He steered his mind off the pictures her body prompted. ”No. I'm only testing your reflexes.”
She looked pointedly at his crotch. ”Yours seem to be in good working order.”
She stretched again then took a leisurely stroll around the perimeter of the cell, closing in a small circle as she moved toward him. Joe tensed for potential attack, calculating just how quickly he could go for the buzzer if she pounced. The odds didn't look good.
A girlish giggle rippled from her. ”Weird isn't it? To know a woman could rip you to pieces? Don't be frightened. I have better ways of vanquis.h.i.+ng enemies.”
She shook out her thick hair as she moved toward him. Musky perfume grew strong in the air. His eyes strayed to her b.r.e.a.s.t.s again. He wanted to touch. Touch her? s.h.i.+t, he wanted to f.u.c.k f.u.c.k her. The thought horrified him but his body was in disagreement. Jean would laugh and say men would have s.e.x with anything that moved. her. The thought horrified him but his body was in disagreement. Jean would laugh and say men would have s.e.x with anything that moved.
But the way she moved... like something fluid, rippling around the small cell as if she had no bone or sinew, only one great long undulation of curve. It was inhuman. No human female no matter how graceful or seductive could move like this.
He had to look away or he was a dead man. Reaching down, he came up with the notebooks and held them out to her. Her kittenish att.i.tude instantly evaporated. Now, she stood motionless, which was somehow much more inhuman and frightening than before. The texture of her skin was like smooth and l.u.s.trous stone, her eyes reflective brown-green gems. Only her hair retained its softness.
”How did you get these?”
”They were found in your knapsack.”
Pure malice twisted her features. ”Surprised they didn't check our mouths for gold.”
”Sorry?”
”Did you read them? Did you!”
”Only the first ten pages or so- obviously, these are private thoughts. It's not right to read them without permission. Here, take them.”
Her face smoothed out again, like a shape-s.h.i.+fting alien in a sci-fi movie, suddenly not expressing any visible emotion. After a moment she reached out to take the notebooks. Turning her back on him, she crossed to the bed, tucking them under the pillow. As she turned to face him musky perfume hit him again.
Now he realized what it was. A pheromone, like an insect would use to lure prey. A pheromone, like an insect would use to lure prey. A usually unperceived olfactory cue some species attracted potential mates with, or as in this case, lunch. Every time she shook her hair back, the scent grew stronger, released there, maybe through a gland, maybe through the pores. A usually unperceived olfactory cue some species attracted potential mates with, or as in this case, lunch. Every time she shook her hair back, the scent grew stronger, released there, maybe through a gland, maybe through the pores. Amazing... Amazing...
His mind tangled for a moment in waves of chestnut brown. He shook himself out of it. She was controlling him with the scent. He'd read a story once as a kid, about Lamia, Lamia, female demons with perfumed hair that seduced and drained the life force from their male victims. It couldn't be true. female demons with perfumed hair that seduced and drained the life force from their male victims. It couldn't be true.
She crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. ”You're the neurologist?”
”Neuroscientist,” he corrected.
”First they send a shrink, then you. Think I'm crazy?”
”You're quite lucid,” he answered. ”But Dr. Loy feels there may be a neurological basis for your... uh... violent tendencies.”
”Gotta bad temper when I'm lied to.”
”Then why didn't you escape when you had the chance? You could have sprung your boyfriend and ran away.”
Surprising color rose in her face. ”She promised us sanctuary.”
Sanctuary? A word someone hunted or persecuted might use. Which was she? He thought it wise to say nothing- best not to antagonize her further. At least now he had an inkling of what her dilemma could be. A word someone hunted or persecuted might use. Which was she? He thought it wise to say nothing- best not to antagonize her further. At least now he had an inkling of what her dilemma could be.
Her face rapidly composed itself back into a cool white mask. ”Listen, I appreciate you returning my notebooks, but you tell that b.i.t.c.h I'm not giving up a drop of blood until Kurt's in my bed.” She wandered over to the far side of the cell, pressing her ear to the wall. ”He'd better be okay.”
She feared they meant him harm. Joe jotted down this thought. ”I'll speak to Doctor Loy.”
”I don't trust your Doctor Loy.”
Well, that was one point they agreed on. He smiled slightly, in spite of himself.
She quickly picked up on this. ”You don't either.”
”Never said that.”
”You didn't have to.”
”Clairvoyant?”
”Doc, you're a scientist. You don't believe in that c.r.a.p?”
”Neither do you, I take it.”
A smile spread slowly over her face as she recited, a child repeating a lesson, ”There's nothing that can't be explained scientifically.”
”You obviously read visual and aural cues and perhaps changes in body chemistry by scent. Let's see what else you can do.” He produced a small rubber ball from his pocket, throwing it high into the air. ”Catch.”
She leapt straight up to the twelve-foot ceiling without effort, s.n.a.t.c.hing the ball from the air and closing her fist about it. As she touched the ground noiselessly, she opened her palm beneath his nose. Grains of material that had once been the ball littered the ground in front of him. ”I didn't come here to do tricks.”
Joe straightened up in his chair, staring her down. ”Then why are you here?”
She gave him a blank look again.
”Are you in danger?”
She laughed.
”You find that funny?”
”You're a very entertaining doctor, in so many many ways.” ways.”
Joe ventured a chance. ”You must be in trouble somehow or you would have set him free and high-tailed it out of here.”
”Haven't you ever seen the scary movies? We get this really bad sunburn and all the Coppertone in the world won't help.”
”You had an opportunity long before the sun rose. You must need our help.”
”Don't flatter yourself.”